Specifications, Availability and Pricing

Following the way the chart has delivered the information, we start off with the socket compatibility. Here Noctua has eliminated the LGA1366 and 775 sockets, but does cover all other newer Intel sockets as well as AMD all the way back to AM2. The NH-U12S stands 158mm tall, is 125mm wide, is 45mm tick without a fan on it, and weighs in at 755 grams in total. As for the body of the cooler, it is comprised of a two piece base with five 6mm heat pipes soldered into the base. As these pipes make their U shaped bends out the sides of the base, there are then 50 aluminum fins pressed over them, and they are left protruding through the top fin of the cooler. The base material is copper, and so are the pipes, but to match the aluminum and fight oxidations, both base components as well as the pipes are given a nickel plating.

Cooling this tower is the Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan that is included in the box, although this cooler is designed to allow for push/pull configuration as well. The included fan is capable of spinning at 1500 RPM at its maximum, comes with an L.N.A. connection to drop that to 1200 RPM, and the fan will idle at close to 300 RPM. At its maximum rotational speed, this fan delivers 93.4 m3/h of airflow and delivers 2.61 mmH20 of static pressure. There is also a 150,000 hour life span of these fans and helps Noctua justify the six year warranty that this cooler offers.

Since the release of these coolers was just presented at the beginning of April, and the fact that they have been in my position for only a couple of days at this point, product has yet to arrive on the shelves. I would expect this to change at any moment, as I am sure cases of these are already on their way to your favorite e-tailers. At least with the press releases there was an MSRP included to go along with them. In those releases, you will see that the pricing for the NH-U12S has been set at $64.90 inside of the US, and will sell for 59.90 Euros over the pond. This means, as long as you can get past fan color for performance and silence, this new cooler is within range of the every man, and is refreshing to see manufacturers getting back to what sells, and in all honesty 90% of the buyers reading this will still look for a cheaper solution, even if it performs worse.

For those in the know of what Noctua is and has been all about for many years now, this is an affordable and well thought out design that should warrant your attention.

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